Criticism!

No, not that, anything but criticism!

So we writers (at least me, anyway) are a sensitive bunch, especially when it comes to others giving us feedback. We love to be praised for what we have done, but it hurts on a deeper level when someone pulls it apart and shows all the things that are wrong with it.

Now this sort of feedback depends on many factors such as; personal feelings at that moment in time, relationship with the person giving the feedback, how they are giving the feedback, where they are giving the feedback, etc, etc. Some feedback is particularly unhelpful, e.g. it was..(insert four letter expletive here). Okay, so you don’t like it, but WHY don’t you like it? What was specifically wrong with it that you didn’t like?

Then there are those people who will tell you what they liked, then what they found wrong, finally ending with something nice. This is useful because it does not leave the writer a quivering mess unable to write a single word for the next week or so. Constructive criticism, as it is now called, helps highlight areas for improvement. After all, we are only human so we succumb to human qualities.

If you are a fledgling writer, why not try your local writer’s group? These are your peers and so they will know when you are being lazy, or rushing to get it finished. Generally, they have taken some heat for their own work so they know how much it can hurt, if delivered incorrectly. If meeting people is too much for you, why not join an online community?

What you must remember is this; the best criticism is there to help you become a better writer. It is not there to destroy your confidence.

And finally, criticism is only one person’s opinion. It is up to you to decide whether to make the changes.